sounds can only be searched in names that have been assigned pronunciations

names without pronunciations are excluded from results

* is a wildcard that will match zero or more letters in the pronunciation

example:*lee will match names which end with the sound lee

(s) will match exactly one syllable in the pronunciation

example:(s)(s)rah will match names which have two syllables and then the sound rah

(c) will match a consonant

(k) will match a consonant or consonant cluster

(v) will match a vowel

(p) will match a plosive or stop consonant

(p) will match a fricative consonant

(n) will match a nasal consonant

case sensitive: check this if you wish distinguish between unstressed lowercase sounds and stressed uppercase sounds

Related name

Relationship

expand search to ancestral names

the "relationship" is how the name relates to its parent name

example: searching for diminutive will return Betsy because it is a diminutive of its parent Elizabeth

selecting (all core forms) will exclude peripheral forms such as diminutives, short forms, and combinations

expand search to ancestral names: relationships between names further up the family tree will be included

Popularity

Namesake

Name day

Impression

name impressions are based on feedback left by the behindthename.com community

User list

enter a behindthename.com username to search that user's public personal name lists

to limit your search to a specific list, put the name of the list in brackets after the username

Category

separate multiple categories with a comma

* is a wildcard that will match zero or more letters in the category

Options

ALmEnglishShort form of ALBERT and other names beginning with Al. A notable bearer is American actor Al Pacino (1940-).

ANDYm & fEnglishDiminutive of ANDREW or sometimes ANDREA (2). American pop artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was a famous bearer of this name.

BOBmEnglish, DutchShort form of ROBERT. It arose later than Dob, Hob and Nob, which were medieval rhyming nicknames of Robert. It was borne by the character Bob Cratchit in Charles Dickens' novel 'A Christmas Carol' (1843). Other famous bearers include American folk musician Bob Dylan (1941-) and Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley (1945-1981).

CALVINmEnglishDerived from the French surname Cauvin, which was derived from chauve "bald". The surname was borne by Jean Cauvin (1509-1564), a theologian from France who was one of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation. His surname was Latinized as Calvinus (based on Latin calvus "bald") and he is known as John Calvin in English. It has been used as a given name in his honour since the 19th century.

COURTNEYf & mEnglishFrom an aristocratic English surname which was derived either from the French place name Courtenay (originally a derivative of the personal name Curtenus, itself derived from Latin curtus "short") or else from a Norman nickname meaning "short nose". As a feminine name in America, it first became popular during the 1970s.

CYNTHIAfEnglish, Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek Κυνθια (Kynthia) which means "woman from Kynthos". This was an epithet of the Greek moon goddess Artemis, given because Kynthos was the mountain on Delos on which she and her twin brother Apollo were born. It was not used as a given name until the Renaissance, and it did not become common in the English-speaking world until the 19th century.

DUNCANmScottish, EnglishAnglicized form of the Gaelic name Donnchadh, derived from Gaelic donn "brown" and cath "battle". This was the name of two kings of Scotland, including the one who was featured in Shakespeare's play 'Macbeth' (1606).

EDITHfEnglish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, DutchFrom the Old English name Eadgyð, derived from the elements ead "wealth, fortune" and gyð "war". It was popular among Anglo-Saxon royalty, being borne for example by Saint Eadgyeth;, the daughter of King Edgar the Peaceful. The name remained common after the Norman conquest. It became rare after the 15th century, but was revived in the 19th century.

ETHANmEnglish, French, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name אֵיתָן ('Eitan) meaning "solid, enduring, firm". In the Old Testament this name is borne by a few minor characters, including the wise man Ethan the Ezrahite, supposedly the author of Psalm 89.... [more]

GINGERfEnglishFrom the English word ginger for the spice or the reddish-brown colour. It can also be a diminutive of VIRGINIA, as in the case of actress and dancer Ginger Rogers (1911-1995), by whom the name was popularized.

GLORIAfEnglish, Spanish, Italian, GermanMeans "glory", from the Portuguese and Spanish titles of the Virgin MaryMaria da Glória and María de Gloria. Maria da Glória (1819-1853) was the daughter of the Brazilian emperor Pedro I, eventually becoming queen of Portugal as Maria II.... [more]

HAROLDmEnglishFrom the Old English name Hereweald, derived from the elements here "army" and weald "power, leader, ruler". The Old Norse cognate Haraldr was also common among Scandinavian settlers in England. This was the name of five kings of Norway and three kings of Denmark. It was also borne by two kings of England, both of whom were from mixed Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon backgrounds, including Harold II who lost the Battle of Hastings (and was killed in it), which led to the Norman conquest. After the conquest the name died out, but it was eventually revived in the 19th century.

HENRYmEnglishFrom the Germanic name Heimirich which meant "home ruler", composed of the elements heim "home" and ric "power, ruler". It was later commonly spelled Heinrich, with the spelling altered due to the influence of other Germanic names like Haganrich, in which the first element is hagan "enclosure".... [more]

JOCELYNf & mEnglish, FrenchFrom a Germanic masculine name, variously written as Gaudelenus, Gautselin, Gauzlin, along with many other spellings. It was derived from the Germanic element Gaut, which was from the name of the Germanic tribe the Goths, combined with a Latin diminutive suffix. The Normans brought this name to England in the form Goscelin or Joscelin, and it was common until the 14th century. It was revived in the 20th century primarily as a feminine name, perhaps an adaptation of the surname Jocelyn (a medieval derivative of the given name). In France this is a masculine name only.

MICKEYm & fEnglishDiminutive or feminine form of MICHAEL. This was the name that Walt Disney gave to Ub Iwerks' cartoon character Mickey Mouse, who was originally named Mortimer Mouse. Another famous bearer was the American baseball player Mickey Mantle (1931-1995).

PHILIPmEnglish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, BiblicalFrom the Greek name Φιλιππος (Philippos) which means "friend of horses", composed of the elements φιλος (philos) "friend, lover" and ‘ιππος (hippos) "horse". This was the name of five kings of Macedon, including Philip II the father of Alexander the Great. The name appears in the New Testament belonging to two people who are regarded as saints. First, one of the twelve apostles, and second, an early figure in the Christian church known as Philip the Deacon.... [more]